Rates of cardiac catheterization,coronary angioplasty and open-heart surgery in adults in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rates of and waiting lists for cardiac catheterization, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and open-heart surgery in adults in Canada between Apr. 1, 1988, and Mar. 31, 1989. DESIGN: Mail survey. PARTICIPANTS: The directors of all 48 adult cardiac catheterization laboratories and the chiefs of all 33 adult cardiovascular surgery programs in Canada. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 61,116 cardiac catheterization procedures were performed, a rate of 236 per 100,000 population. The mean waiting times for elective procedures were weighted to reflect more accurately the differences between centres in the number of patients awaiting the procedures. The mean wait for elective cardiac catheterization was 8.5 weeks. There were 10,097 PTCA procedures done, a rate of 39 per 100,000 population. The mean wait for elective PTCA was 11.0 weeks, the longest wait occurring in Quebec (15.4 weeks). A total of 16,240 open-heart procedures were performed, a rate of 63 per 100,000 population. The mean wait for elective open-heart surgery was 22.6 weeks, the longest wait occurring in Quebec and British Columbia (more than 32 weeks). The rates for all three procedures were much lower in Canada than in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the cumulative wait for coronary angiography and PTCA or open-heart surgery may lead to major losses of productivity, delayed rehabilitation and reduced probability of return to previous levels of productivity. Regular collection of data such as ours should help to understand better the resources required for these specialized cardiac procedures.     

Endothelial dysfunction occurs in peripheral circulation patients with acute and stable coronary artery disease

Atherosclerosis is a diffuse, systemic process. In addition, acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are associated with inflammatory marker elevations that are hypothesized to affect the function of nonculprit coronary as well as peripheral vessels. We investigated whether femoral vascular reactivity and/or fibrinolytic capacity are impaired in ACS patients over and above any dysfunction associated with stable coronary artery disease. Patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography (n = 42 total, 14 patients/group) were recruited into three groups as follows: 1) stable coronary syndromes (SAP group), 2) ACS as defined by rest angina with ECG changes and troponin rise (ACS group), and 3) angiographically normal coronary arteries (control group). After diagnostic coronary angiography, femoral artery endothelial and smooth muscle function were assessed by infusing acetylcholine (ACh) and nitroglycerin (GTN), and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) release across the femoral circulation was measured as the difference between arterial and venous concentrations before and after ACh and GTN stimulation. There were no significant differences between groups in relevant baseline characteristics apart from significantly higher C-reactive protein levels and reduced net t-PA release in the ACS group at baseline (P < 0.05). The ACS and SAP groups had equivalent angiographic severity of coronary artery disease. Endothelium-dependent dilatation was significantly higher in control individuals (14.9 +/- 9.1%; P < 0.001) compared with either stable patients (2.3 +/- 8.1%) or those with unstable syndromes (2.6 +/- 8.9%, who were similar to each other; P = not significant). Although baseline t-PA release was impaired in the ACS patients (0.09 +/- 0.06 compared with 0.39 +/- 0.33 and 0.49 +/- 0.56 ng/ml; P = 0.03), stimulation of t-PA release by ACh and GTN occurred only in the control subjects and not in the ACS or SAP patients. Coronary artery disease is associated with impaired endothelium-dependent dilatation and impaired stimulation of t-PA release in the systemic circulation. These aspects of endothelial dysfunction, however, were equally severe in acute and chronic coronary syndrome patients.     

Coronary stent implantation without balloon predilatation: a single-center experience

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of safety and efficacy of coronary stent deployment, without balloon predilatation. BACKGROUND: With newer high-performance balloon-premounted stents it has become more common to attempt coronary stent deployment without balloon pre- or postdilatation. METHODS: During 1998 524 coronary angioplasties were performed in the authors' institute, of which 279 resulted in coronary stenting. Of these 101 (36.2%) were stents without balloon predilatation (SWBP). PTCA was performed according to standard technique using mostly 7 F. guiding catheters, and 'rapid exchange' balloons and pre-mounted stents. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients had acute coronary syndromes (41 acute MI or post-MI angina, 28 unstable angina, 10 rescue PTCA after failed thrombolysis). Mean age was 56.4 3 11.1 years, 84.5% were males. Sixty per cent of the lesions were ACC-AHA type B2 or C. Target arteries were LAD 57.6%, LCX 21.2%, RCA 14.1% and SVG 7.1%. Procedure time was 18.2 3 17.3 minutes. Mean heparin dose was 3850 3 1570 units. Twenty-two patients received abciximab prior to stent deployment. Seven stents were not deployed without previous balloon dilatation and were retrieved safely via the guiding catheters and deployed after balloon dilatation. There was no stent embolization, ectopic suboptimal or partial stent deployment. Immediate angiographic success was obtained in 95 patients (94.1%). Minimal lumin diameter (MLD) increased from 0.27 3 0.15 to 3.23 3 2.1 mm. There were two in-hospital deaths (1.9%) due to cardiogenic shock. An intra-aortic balloon pump was required in eight patients. Two patients (1.9%) experienced subacute stent thrombosis. CONCLUSION: SWBP in selective groups of patients and lesions is feasible and safe. Larger randomized comparative trials are needed to assess the benefits and cost saving of this approach.     

The effects of percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention on biomarkers of oxidative stress in the erythrocytes of elderly male patients

Objectives: Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and elective coronary angiography (EC) on erythrocytic antioxidant defense in elderly male patients.

Methods: Twenty-three stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients undergoing PTCA and 18 patients with ischemic symptoms scheduled to undergo diagnostic EC were included in the study. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activities of Zn,Cu-superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), catalase (CAT), and cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were examined in the erythrocytes before, immediately after and 2 weeks following PTCA or EC.

Results: The MDA concentrations were significantly higher and SOD-1, CAT, and GSH-Px activities were significantly lower in the PTCA group than in the EC group at baseline. Two weeks after treatment, the activities of the enzymes significantly increased in both groups, whereas the MDA concentrations decreased only in the PTCA patients.

Conclusions: The results confirm that an advanced state of atherosclerosis is related to greater levels of oxidative stress. The study indicates that both procedures may induce antioxidant defenses; however, PTCA exclusively induces a long-term reduction in lipid peroxidation.     

The use of adjunctive GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients with unstable angina/non-Q-wave MI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors represent a relatively new therapeutic approach in the field of antiplatelet therapy. Following the development of abciximab a number of small molecule GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors have been introduced such as tirofiban and eptifibatide. In this fast-moving field the interventional cardiologist needs a framework to guide decision-making for the individual patient. This review covers the efficacy and safety data from the clinical trials of GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors in the context of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for unstable angina/non-Q-wave myocardial infarction. There is an increasing body of evidence to support the efficacy of GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors in reducing the risk of adverse ischemic events in high and low risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. A number of unresolved efficacy and safety issues remain, including the duration of treatment before and after intervention; whether a reduction in the heparin dose would further decrease the risk of hemorrhage without affecting the periprocedural thrombotic rate in patients undergoing PTCA with adjunctive GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors; and the cost-effectiveness of this therapy. When a thorough analysis of cost-effectiveness has been made, it will be easier to advocate the widespread use of these agents in all patients undergoing coronary intervention.     

Debate: Unstable angina - When should we intervene?

The prognosis of patients who present with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is guarded. These patients can be risk-stratified on the basis of symptom complex, electrocardiographic ST segment depression, obvious hemodynamic compromise and particularly on the basis of serum troponin level. An elevated troponin level determines risk and also predicts the degree of benefit from treatment with either low molecular weight heparin or platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa blockade. Higher risk patients should undergo early coronary angiography and myocardial revascularization as indicated and feasible. Although studies performed before the advent of coronary stenting and adjunctive platelet GP IIb/IIIa blockade suggested increased hazard for patients undergoing early intervention, recent experience cited herein supports an in-hospital and long-term clinical benefit for the aggressive approach. Here, I propose an algorithm for risk stratification and triage of appropriate patients for adjunctive pharmacotherapy and early revascularization.     

Ultrasound screening for clinically occult abdominal aortic aneurysm.

In a review of the records of 74 patients who had undergone repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm at a community hospital between 1977 and 1983 we found that the aneurysm had been undiagnosed before rupture in 35%; these patients had an operative death rate of 50%, whereas elective repair carried a death rate of 4%. The characteristic patient was an obese man over the age of 55 years with hypertension, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease or peripheral vascular disease. Ultrasound examination was performed in 45 patients with these characteristics, and six aneurysms were diagnosed. Either surgery or computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis. The rate of false-negative results was estimated by review of the charts of 100 men over the age of 55 years who had undergone abdominal ultrasonography for other indications: no undetected aneurysms were discovered over 3 years of follow-up. Routine screening in this high-risk group would improve the rate of diagnosis of this potentially fatal condition before rupture and offer the patient the lower mortality rate associated with elective surgery.     

不稳定心绞痛患者超敏C 反应蛋白水平与病变血管支数的关系

目的:探讨超敏c反应蛋白(hs-CRP)水平对于不稳定心绞痛(UA)患者多支血管病变的诊断价值。方法:回顾性选取不稳定心绞痛患者据其动脉造影结果分为单支病变组、多支病变组均行超敏c反应蛋白检测并比较两组的差异,在阳性结果基础上行ROC曲线分析。结果:1.单支病变组、多支病变组hs-CRP存在显著差异;2.ROC曲线下面积>0.5。结论:针对于不稳定心绞痛患者其超敏c反应蛋白水平与病变血管支数关系密切,对于临床诊断有一定价值。     

Relation of low diastolic blood pressure to coronary heart disease death in presence of myocardial infarction: the Framingham Study.

OBJECTIVE--To examine the hypothesis that a J curve relation between blood pressure and death from coronary heart disease is confined to high risk subjects with myocardial infarction. DESIGN--Cohort longitudinal epidemiological study with biennial examinations since 1950. SETTING--Framingham, Massachusetts, USA. SUBJECTS--5209 subjects in the Framingham study cohort followed up by a person examination approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Coronary heart disease deaths and non-cardiovascular disease deaths in men and women with or without myocardial infarction relative to blood pressure. RESULTS--Among subjects without myocardial infarction non-cardiovascular disease deaths were twice to three times as common as coronary heart disease deaths. Furthermore, there was no significant relation between non-cardiovascular disease death and diastolic or systolic blood pressure. Also coronary heart disease deaths were linearly related to diastolic and systolic blood pressures. Among high risk patients (that is, people with myocardial infarction but free of congestive heart failure) death from coronary heart disease was more common than non-cardiovascular disease death. There was a significant U shaped relation between coronary heart disease death and diastolic blood pressure. Although there was an apparent U shaped relation between coronary heart disease death and systolic blood pressure, it did not attain statistical significance when controlling for age and change in systolic blood pressure from the pre-myocardial infarction level. None of the above conclusions changed when adjustments were made for risk factors such as serum cholesterol concentration, antihypertensive treatment, and left ventricular function. The U shaped relation between diastolic blood pressure and high risk subjects existed for both those given antihypertensive treatment and those not. CONCLUSIONS--These data suggest that an age and sex independent U curve relation exists for diastolic blood pressure and coronary heart disease deaths in patients with myocardial infarction but not for low risk subjects without myocardial infarction. The relation seems to be independent of left ventricular function and antihypertensive treatment.     

Intermediate coronary artery stenosis: evidence-based decisions in interventions to avoid the oculostenotic reflex

The prevalence of intermediate coronary artery stenosis (defined as a diameter stenosis of 40% to 70%) is quite large in patients undergoing PTCA. The coronary angiogram is considered the 'gold standard' for the definition of coronary anatomy, in spite of various limitations associated with its use. In recent years, sensor tipped guidewire based methods of physiologic assessment of stenosis severity, like myocardial fractional flow reserve, and poststenotic coronary flow reserve had established their role in the decision making in catheterization laboratory. The decision making should combine morphologic and physiologic assessment as better evidence based approach in guiding therapy to avoid the 'oculostenotic reflex'.     

Duke Treadmill Score in prioritizing patients for coronary angiography: retrospective study of a Croatian regional hospital

Aim of the study was to determine the potential of Duke Treadmill Score (DTS) in prioritizing patients for coronary angiography in a transitional country clinical setting. We analyzed 114patients with suspected stable coronary artery disease who underwent exercise treadmill testing, and coronary angiography in Slavonski Brod General Hospital. DTS was calculated from treadmill test as: exercise time--(5 x ST deviation in mm)--(4 x exercise angina). Regarding the score, patients were grouped into three groups of risk for coronary artery disease: low risk, medium risk, and high risk patients. All patients underwent coronary angiography, and were grouped in accordance to the severity of the coronary artery disease into three groups: insignificant, significant, or severe coronary artery disease. All patients scored as high risk DTS had significant or severe coronary artery disease. Medium and low risk DTS patients had insignificant coronary artery disease in 50%, and 90% of cases, respectively. Medium risk patients with significant or severe coronary artery disease were significantly older, and had more frequent history of typical chest pain with higher number of episodes per week (P<0.05), whereas there were no differences regarding gender or presence of risk factors. There were no significant differences among medium risk patients regarding the severity of coronary artery disease in exercise time or ST deviation. However, the presence of limiting exercise angina in medium risk patients was significantly more related with significant and severe coronary artery disease (P<0.05). High risk DTS result showed great potential in stratifying patients for immediate coronary angiography. This scoring system may be used in prioritizing patients for coronary angiography in a transitional clinical setting.     

Coronary computed tomographic angiography as gatekeeper for new-onset stable angina

Patients with new-onset stable angina constitute a substantial part of the population seen by cardiologists. Currently, the diagnostic workup of these patients depends on the pre-test probability of having obstructive coronary artery disease. It consists of either functional testing for myocardial ischaemia or anatomical testing by using coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) or invasive coronary angiography. In case the pre-test probability is > 5%, the current guidelines for the management of chronic coronary syndromes do not state a clear preference for one of the noninvasive techniques. However, based on the recently published cost-effectiveness analysis of the PROMISE trial and considering the diagnostic yield in patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease, we argue a more prominent role for CCTA as a gatekeeper for patients with new-onset stable angina.     

Sex-related differences in coronary revascularization practices: the perspective from a Canadian queue management project.

OBJECTIVE: To assess sex-related differences in coronary revascularization practices in a Canadian setting. DESIGN: Prospective analytic cohort study. SETTING: Regional referral office in Toronto. PATIENTS: A selected but consecutive group of 131 women and 440 men referred by cardiologists for revascularization procedures between Jan. 3, 1989, and June 30, 1991. INTERVENTIONS: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Nurse-coordinators placed the referral with a surgeon or interventional cardiologist at one of three hospitals, who then communicated directly with the referring cardiologist. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptom status at referral, procedures requested and performed, and time from referral to procedure. RESULTS: Although the women were more likely than the men to have unstable angina at the time of referral (odds ratio [OR] 2.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38 to 3.79, p = 0.0006), more women than men (16.8% v. 12.1%) were turned down for a procedure. Significant sex-related differences in practice patterns (p < 0.001) persisted after controlling for age or for the referring cardiologists'' perception of expected procedural risk. A stepwise multivariate model showed that anatomy was the main determinant of case management; sex was the only other significant variable (p = 0.016). The referring physicians requested CABG more often for men than for women (p = 0.009), and the men accepted for a procedure were much more likely to undergo CABG than the women (OR 2.40, CI 1.47 to 3.93, p = 0.0002). Although the women undergoing CABG waited shorter periods than the men (p = 0.0035), this difference was attributable to their more severe symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In this selected group women had more serious symptoms before referral but were turned down for revascularization more often than men. Reduced use of CABG rather than PTCA largely accounted for the sex-related differences in revascularization. Once accepted for a procedure women had shorter waiting times, which was appropriate given their more severe symptoms.     

Early and long-term outcome of elective stenting of the infarct-related artery in patients with viability in the infarct-area: Rationale and design of the Viability-guided Angioplasty after acute Myocardial Infarction-trial (The VIAMI-trial)

BACKGROUND: Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is becoming the standard therapy in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), to date most patients, even in developed countries, are reperfused with intravenous thrombolysis or do not receive a reperfusion therapy at all. In the post-lysis period these patients are at high risk for recurrent ischemic events. Early identification of these patients is mandatory as this subgroup could possibly benefit from an angioplasty of the infarct-related artery.Since viability seems to be related to ischemic adverse events, we initiated a clinical trial to investigate the benefits of PCI with stenting of the infarct-related artery in patients with viability detected early after acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: The VIAMI-study is designed as a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Patients who are hospitalized with an acute myocardial infarction and who did not have primary or rescue PCI, undergo viability testing by low-dose dobutamine echocardiography (LDDE) within 3 days of admission. Consequently, patients with demonstrated viability are randomized to an invasive or conservative strategy. In the invasive strategy patients undergo coronary angiography with the intention to perform PCI with stenting of the infarct-related coronary artery and concomitant use of abciximab. In the conservative group an ischemia-guided approach is adopted (standard optimal care).The primary end point is the composite of death from any cause, reinfarction and unstable angina during a follow-up period of three years. CONCLUSION: The primary objective of the VIAMI-trial is to demonstrate that angioplasty of the infarct-related coronary artery with stenting and concomitant use of abciximab results in a clinically important risk reduction of future cardiac events in patients with viability in the infarct-area, detected early after myocardial infarction.     

Coronary angioplasty 1987

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is currently a common technique in the treatment of coronary artery disease, since the first dilatation was performed with success by A. Gruentzig (1977). If clinical indication is reserved to symptomatic angina pectoris, angiographic indications have been enlarged on account of progress in techniques and technology. Immediate success is good, about 90% with a low rate of mortality (1%), sometimes despite an emergency surgical revascularization. Restenosis is frequent, about 30% a few months after PTCA, with necessity of a new PTCA in almost half the cases. Long-term follow-up is satisfactory, about two third patients are asymptomatic. Immediate efficacy of this simple technique, and good results on a long-term follow-up, are explications of the increase in the number of PTCA during the last ten years.     

Evidence-based management of coronary artery disease in the elderly--current perspectives

Cardiovascular disease accounts for significant morbidity and mortality in the elderly. The clinical trial data available to guide therapy in this growing population subset are relatively limited. This review will focus on treatment approaches and recommendations obtained from subgroup analyses of elderly patients from major clinical trials for the management of chronic stable angina, acute coronary syndromes (unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction), and coronary revascularization. Recent advances in the treatment of stable angina have shown that use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and lipid-lowering therapy as adjunctive measures show benefit in the elderly by reducing the occurrence of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and unstable angina. However, if patients experience disabling or unstable anginal symptoms despite effective medical therapy, coronary revascularization must be considered. Several clinical trials have shown a significant reduction in major adverse cardiac events when using intravenous glycoprotein receptor antagonists periprocedurally during percutaneous revascularization approaches in elderly patients with unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, especially when these measures are performed as soon as possible. However, the success of myocardial revascularization by a percutaneous or surgical approach is highly dependent on the patient's associated comorbidities, especially in patients over age 80 years.     

Coronary plaque injury triggers neutrophil activation in patients with coronary artery disease

Activation of leukocytes, in particular polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), is considered an early event in unstable coronary disease. Upon activation PMN liberate myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme which binds to the vessel wall and depletes vascular NO bioavailability. Using coronary balloon angioplasty as a trigger to provoke coronary plaque injury, we assessed the time course of neutrophil activation, local and peripheral levels of myeloperoxidase, and systemic vascular NO bioavailability in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Twenty-four patients with stable CAD were enrolled prior to undergoing percutaneous interventions (PCI, n=14) and diagnostic coronary angiography (n=10), respectively. Following angioplasty arterial MPO plasma levels increased (231.5+/-67.6 to 273.8+/-80.4 pg/mg protein; P<0.01) whereas MPO levels in the coronary sinus decreased (240.8+/-74.4 vs 205.4+/-60.1 pg/mg protein; P<0.01) in the absence of elevated serum markers for myocardial necrosis. Following PCI, patients revealed impaired vascular NO bioavailability as reflected by reduced brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD; 6.25+/-3.03 to 4.90+/-2.70%; P<0.01), whereas FMD increased in the angiography group. Coronary plaque injury provokes rapid activation of PMN in the absence of myocardial necrosis; the coronary circulation emerges as a primary site for deposition of MPO following injury of the coronary vessel wall. Activation of PMN with release of MPO is not only restricted to the target site, but can be assessed systemically and may represent a critical mechanistic link for impaired systemic vascular NO bioavailability in patients suffering unstable coronary disease.     

Coronary pressure and FFR predict long-term outcome after PTCA

Although coronary stents have been the most important improvement in percutaneous coronary interventions in the last 10 years, it is well known to interventionalists that many patients after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) have a favourable outcome without stenting. Coronary angiography, however, is not sensitive enough to identify those particular patients and it has been suggested that a combination of angiographic and functional criteria would be more suitable to distinguish patients with a low restenosis chance after plain balloon angioplasty. In the present study, the authors investigated the value of coronary pressure measurement for conditional stenting in 85 patients. It was demonstrated that in patients in whom a high fractional flow reserve (FFR) was present (> 0.90), the incidence of coronary events at two-year follow-up was almost three times lower than in those patients with an FFR below 0.90. Such high FFRs could be obtained in approximately 45% of all patients. In an additional group of patients, it was demonstrated by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) studies that the mechanism of a high FFR after plain balloon angioplasty is most likely the result of a larger lumen compared with patients with a suboptimal FFR. This means that, in patients in whom both the angiographic and the functional result after PTCA is optimal, a restenosis rate is achieved similar to that achieved by stenting. Obviously, in such patients, additional stenting and a number of problems in the long-term possibly related to stenting can be avoided. Therefore, coronary angiography and coronary pressure measurement have a complementary value in the evaluation of PTCA results and such information can be easily obtained by using a pressure wire instead of a regular guidewire.     

Development of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury after Elective Contrast Media Exposure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Effect of Albuminuria

Background

The influence of albuminuria and urinary pH on the development of contrast-induced acute kidney disease (CI-AKI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after elective coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown.

Methods

CI-AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine >26.4 µmol/L or ≥50% of baseline value within 48 hours after contrast media exposure. Demographics, traditional risk factors, clinical outcomes and CI-AKI incidence were compared between groups. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess risk factors of CI-AKI.

Results

We observed 597 patients with T2DM after CAG or PCI. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on early morning urinary albumin: negative group (urine dipstick negative, n = 483), trace group (urine dipstick trace, n = 60), and positive group (urine dipstick ≥1+, n = 54). CI-AKI occurred in 33 (5.5%) patients, including 19 (3.9%) in the negativealbuminuria group, 4 (6.7%) in the trace group, and 10 (18.5%) in the positive group (p< 0.001), respectively. After adjusting for potential confounding risk factors, positive albuminuria (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.5 to 9.2, p = 0.004) and urinary pH<6 (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1 to 5.1, p = 0.020) remained significantly associated with CI-AKI.

Conclusion

Preprocedural albuminuria and urinary pH <6 are independent risk factors of CI-AKI in patients with T2DM undergoing elective cardiac catheterization, and may be used to identify patients at high risk of post-procedural CI-AKI.     

Soluble CD40 Ligand in Aspirin-Treated Patients Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization

Plasma soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) is mainly generated by cleavage of CD40L from the surface of activated platelets, and therefore considered a platelet activation marker. Although the predictive value of sCD40L for ischemic events has been demonstrated in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), studies on the association of sCD40L with cardiovascular outcomes in lower risk populations yielded heterogeneous results. We therefore sought to investigate factors influencing sCD40L levels, and the predictive value of sCD40L for long-term ischemic events in unselected, aspirin-treated patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. sCD40L was determined by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 682 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Two-year follow-up data were obtained from 562 patients. Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel was associated with significantly lower levels of sCD40L and lower platelet surface expressions of P-selectin and activated GPIIb/IIIa compared to aspirin monotherapy (all p≤0.01). Hypertension was linked to lower plasma concentrations of sCD40L, whereas female sex, increasing high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and hematocrit were associated with higher sCD40L concentrations (all p<0.05). sCD40L levels were similar in patients without and with the primary endpoint in the overall study population (p = 0.4). Likewise, sCD40L levels did not differ significantly between patients without and with the secondary endpoints (both p≥0.4). Similar results were obtained when only patients with angiographically-proven coronary artery disease (n = 459), stent implantation (n = 205) or ACS (n = 125) were analyzed. The adjustment for differences in patient characteristics by multivariate regression analyses did not change the results. ROC curve analyses did not reveal cut-off values for sCD40L for the prediction of the primary or secondary endpoints. In conclusion, plasma sCD40L levels are reduced by antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel, but not associated with long-term ischemic outcomes in unselected consecutive aspirin-treated patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.